How the individual nature of needs manifests itself. Properties of needs and their connection with consciousness
The question of the needs of humans and other biological organisms has always interested psychologists. In order to identify how the individual nature of needs manifests itself, it is necessary to first define this concept. In general terms, a need is a state of need that an organism experiences. This may be the need for special external or internal conditions, the desire to belong to a group, cognitive activity, etc. This interpretation is also true in relation to animals. Different researchers give their own definitions of what human needs are, but the main concept is the above.
What have we learned?
A need is a need for something, without which a person feels discomfort. The traditional classification divides needs into biological, social and spiritual. The theory of the American psychologist A. Maslow is also popular.
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Focus
Selectivity of attention when perceiving reality is determined by the dominant need at a given time. For example, a hungry person will focus all his attention on those objects of the external world that are associated with food. A person who is obsessed with purchasing a new, more expensive car will see only fashionable foreign cars around. Therefore, such selectivity will also be one of the indicators indicating how the individual nature of human needs is manifested.
Emotions are a companion of needs
The emotional component is an attribute that accompanies any need. Indeed, if there is a certain dissatisfaction, a person, and indeed any living organism, will experience negative experiences. And when the need is met, they are always replaced by positive emotions. Therefore, when talking about how the individual nature of a person’s needs manifests itself, we can also mention the power of the emotional response. Different people in different situations will demonstrate varying degrees of it: one person waiting for luggage at the airport for a long time will be reserved and calm. Another may begin to behave like a small child.
Can there be too many needs?
But even reasonable needs can sometimes cause harm: if you get stuck on one of them for a long time and don’t know how to stop.
This question is colorfully illustrated in the fairy tale by A.S. Pushkin's "Golden Fish", where the old woman at first asked only for a new trough, but gradually her demands and needs grew until she wanted to become the mistress of the sea, which led her to the loss of everything she had received and complete disappointment.
Also on this topic, we recommend re-watching the cartoon “The Golden Antelope” about the Sultan, greedy for gold, with whom his too great needs also played a cruel joke, and he received a good life lesson.
Hierarchy of needs
Various scientists have been involved in constructing a hierarchy of needs, but one of the most famous concepts is, of course, Maslow’s pyramid. In addition to attempting to organize human needs into a specific sequence, he also sought to answer the question of what determines needs. It turned out that if there are unsatisfied needs of a lower order, the needs that follow them cannot be satisfied to the proper extent. For example, the same hungry person is unlikely to be interested in Van Gogh’s paintings. And those who are in life-threatening conditions are unlikely to think very much about their status in the workplace or in the team.
Human needs and psychology
If needs exist, then they must be satisfied, and for this purpose purposeful actions must be taken. When a person has a need, he directs his strength to satisfy it. If you want to eat, you buy groceries and prepare some kind of dish. There is a desire to start a family - he is looking for a partner.
But, unfortunately, a person is not always able to satisfy his desires. Moreover, he cannot always understand what exactly he wants. But his peace of mind and happiness depend on this. Therefore, psychology pays a lot of attention to the study of people's needs. Psychologists have noticed several interesting features regarding needs and their satisfaction.
A person is not always aware of his needs. Sometimes people don't understand what they really want. This gives rise to mental suffering, which often turns into psychosomatic illnesses.
Desire and attraction
If a person does not realize what he is drawn to, psychologists use the term “attraction.” That is, he cannot achieve a comfortable state because he is tormented by a need that he does not realize and does not understand. When he begins to understand what he really needs, it is called desire. When desire arises, motivation arises.
Motives, goals, needs
What is motivation? This is a person's movement towards a goal. He has realized what he wants and strives for it; he has a motive. For example, a girl has a goal - losing weight. She begins to take certain actions: goes on a diet, runs in the morning, etc. She has a motive - so that guys pay more attention to her. Then she will begin to feel in demand, that is, she will realize her need.
Needs and emotions
Strong needs lead to strong emotions. If a person experiences strong irritation, it means that some of his needs are not satisfied, and he craves to get something. Therefore, it is important to understand what exactly you want: a good husband, fame, money, there is a desire to buy a big house or go to Paris. In principle, nothing is impossible. The main thing is to understand what you really want. Maybe just to get the attention of a nice neighbor.
The main feature that determines the individual nature of needs
Thus, speaking about how the individual nature of needs manifests itself, it is necessary to note the direct connection of this nature with human consciousness. Needs determine direction and focus attention in a specific direction. On the other hand, man himself, as a highly developed being, is able to determine his needs and concentrate precisely on those things that determined his personal choice. Anyone whose value system is dominated by career growth will have a need for it. His consciousness will focus on actions to achieve promotion. Anyone who wants to move to another country will direct the focus of their attention to filling this need.
Formation of human needs
Taking into account the considered classification of needs, we can talk about the features of their formation. Basic physiological needs are innate, transmitted to us at the genetic level. A person lives with them until his death; without receiving them, he dies physically.
Such needs cannot be prohibited or imposed by force. Primary needs cannot be good or bad, pure or dirty. Only ways and methods of satisfying them can be considered unworthy. For example, a person uses a public space instead of a toilet.
Primary spiritual needs also appear with a person. The presence of love, close people, harmony, and self-realization in life are mandatory for his mental health. Of course, without the listed benefits, a person will not die, but he will be stuck in reflection and frustration for a long time.
Secondary needs are formed in an individual in several stages.
Infancy
All the physiological needs of the baby are provided by his parents. Since the child has contact with adults, social needs arise even before six months: he smiles, looks at rattles, identifies mother and father.
Earlier childhood
At about the age of 3 years, the baby develops an understanding of objects to satisfy needs - he realizes the need for toys, certain food, specific clothing. Cognitive needs grow, the child reads books, sculpts, draws, and actively explores the world.
Preschool period, primary school age
Children's social environment expands significantly. In addition to mothers and grandmothers, they have their own friends - children from kindergarten, class, yard or clubs where he begins to go. The need for communication, recognition, mutual assistance and understanding is formed.
Teenagers
At this age, the last physiological need is revealed - sexual. For the first time, such secondary needs as self-realization and self-improvement are formed. There is a sharp change and expansion of cognitive interests. A teenager strives to learn about those things and objects that he did not even think about in the early periods of his life.
On the basis of the formed sexual need, a need for a person of the opposite sex and romantic experiences appear. The need for communication is shifting towards peers and friends. Relatives fade into the background.
It is believed that by the end of adolescence, all the basic needs of a person have already been developed. Their further development occurs through changes in their content and methods of achievement.
How does the individual nature of needs manifest themselves? Answers 6th grade?
Each person has needs, but for each person they have their own characteristics, their own traits, which are directly related to the person’s individuality.
We are all different, each has his own interests in life, each has his own dream, each has his own attitude towards certain events. This is how we express ourselves as individuals, as individuals.
Accordingly, our requests turn out to be different. Or rather, the assessment of the significance of these requests turns out to be different. So, for some, it seems more important to satisfy material needs, money, cars, houses. Others value spiritual needs more; spiritual development and spiritual values are more important to them. For others, social needs seem to be the most important and they strive to make a career and gain weight in society.
Therefore, the individual nature of needs is manifested in the differences in the system of life values that each person has.
The manifestation of the individual nature of needs depends on upbringing and the environment in which a person finds himself, on personal talent, on spiritual development, on material wealth. For example, if a child’s parents are musicians, they teach him music and the child begins to feel the need for music. Another example is when everyone around the child smokes and the child begins to smoke too, and subsequently feels the need to smoke. That is, there are reasonable and unreasonable individual needs. We consider smoking to be an unreasonable need, and the need for music is a reasonable need. Reasonable needs include the needs that develop it.
A. Maslow's pyramid of needs
In the middle of the 20th century, the classification of needs according to Maslow, who developed a hierarchical model, became widespread. By definition, hierarchy is the arrangement of the parts of something in ascending order, from lowest to highest. In this case, the needs of a certain group become relevant only if the previous ones are satisfied. Let's get acquainted with a summary of Maslow's theory.
The psychologist divided all needs into primary, given to us by nature (physiological and existential) and secondary, that is, acquired in the process of life (social, prestigious, cognitive, aesthetic, spiritual).
- Physiological needs must be satisfied in order to survive (the need for food, sleep).
- Existential are the needs for security, a guaranteed future.
- Social - needs for joint activities, support, participation.
- Prestigious - the desire to achieve a higher social position, the need for respect, public recognition.
- Cognitive - acquiring new knowledge, creative activity.
- Aesthetic - the desire for beauty, the desire for art.
- Spiritual - self-development, self-realization.
Rice.
3. Table “A. Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs.” Schoolchildren become familiar with what needs are in social studies lessons in the 6th grade; a report can be prepared on this topic.
